Growing Up Pikey
by ikilledmercutio
Summary: The story of a young girl growing up with a band of gypsies. Rating at M for language and later chapters.
1. Intro

Ok so I finally broke down and decided to post my first fic... Please don't review if you're just going to be an ass about my writing. If you don't like it, oh well. I'm not here to pleasethe nit-pickers.The first chapter's really short, I know.. but it's just getting things set up so I don't make things confusing in the later chapters. Hope you like it.

DISCLAIMER: Any movie characters are not owned by me, they're Guy Richie's... the insufferable bastard... But Grace and a few others are from my own sick mind.. and they do belong to me.

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I've been told by many that I am one strange individual. Well. What would you be like if you grew up with gypsies? Yes, gypsies. Not as in some messed up looking crazy people from cartoons and TV shows that portray them as witches and side show freaks.. They do exist and they're real people just like everyone else.. just a lot more.. colourful.. It's not like they'll put a voodoo curse on you or anything or dance around a fire naked.. Well.. Maybe they've danced around a fire or two, but not naked.. and it probably had to do with an insane amount of wiskey being consumed. That's not too uncommon with us..

The first time I got drunk off my ass was when I was thirteen.. Which is actually rather old for that, mind you.. But that doesn't matter.. That's not what I'm going to tell you about. What I'm going to tell you about is a man named Mickey. Yeah, as in Mouse. But don't let the name fool you, he's no ponce.. I'll have you know, he's the toughest out of all of them here. His name Mickey O'Neil and I've known him nearly all my life.. Perhaps I should start by telling you a bit about my life..

My full name is Amelia Josephine Grace Antoinette LaCroix. My mother was known for never being able to quite make up her mind.. hence the four names. She told me I could pick from them what I would like to be called.. And I chose the plainest out of all of them, Grace.

I never knew my father, and as my mother claims, neither did she.. My grandmother was a gypsy, and after she died, my mother left the clan, taking me along with her. I was only two years old. She tried to make a name for herself in the "outside" world.. She worked several jobs to feed both her and I and keep a roof over our heads..

But it didn't last too long.. When I was five, my mother was suffering from leukaemia and knew that she didn't have long to live.. she didn't know what else to do with me.. She wouldn't trust me to an orphanage so she took me back home, the only place with people she could trust.. Back to the clan, to be raised by my "aunt" Celine, of whom I have no real relation.. but we're all like a family anyway, so what does it matter.. I've lived with her ever since.

As you can imagine, being raised here has given me a far different life from that of a city girl. But I don't mind much.. I've learnt things here that they never will.. They will probably never trust as many people as I do in their life as I do.. I know people say that gypsies are not to be trusted.. But the people who say that have no idea what they're talking about. They haven't spent time around us and don't have room to make assumptions like that.. We're not quick to trust others outside of the clan, but I've seen people outside us become accepted, it just takes some time - and no one's going to waste their time with gypsies, so they'll never learn the truth.

I'm going to stop going on and on and let the story tell itself. This is my real life with the clan, this is how I became into the person I am today. And it all started with him.

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And that's it for now. I've got the other chapters written I just have to go through and edit a bit and I'll have them up as soon as I can. Let me know what you think.


	2. Nothing's Fair

Grace left her aunt's trailer quickly and the door closed behind her with a sharp snap. She padded along the soggy grass and her eyes scanned the fields in search for the boys. She smiled as she spotted the group of them and went after them, pushing through the tall weeds as best as she could.

She ran as fast as her rain boots would allow up to the boys, whose backs were all facing her. She smiled and stepped around them to see what they were doing. They were standing there, holding the collars of three dogs, their eyes searching the plains for something she didn't see. She frowned as she looked around, getting on her tip toes to try and spot what they were all searching for.. All of the sudden one of them gasped and called,

"GO!"

All three of the dogs were let go of all at once. The boys all watched the dogs, paying to attention to Grace, not even giving her a second glance. Grace frowned and went to Mickey nudged him with her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" She asked. Mickey glanced down at her for a moment with furrowed brows before looking back out over the fields and saying without looking at her,

"Nothin', Grace. You go back home, you shouldn't be out here." Grace frowned as the other boys glanced at her and nodded in agreement.

"Aye, yer just a child," James agreed. Grace furrowed her eyebrows and said defensively,

"I am not a child! I'm thirteen and three quarters, I'll have you know! I'm nearly fourteen years old!" Mickey looked down at her and rolled his eyes.

"Aye and I'm three years older than you, and I say go." His voice had the annoying tone that told her this was no suggestion. Grace frowned and turned to look in the direction of the dogs. Her eyes grew wide and her lips parted as she sucked in a sharp breath.

"WHY ARE THE DOGS RUNNING AFTER THAT RABBIT!" She nearly yelled as she watched the dogs tear after the rabbit, right on its heels. Grace looked to Mickey with wide and innocent eyes and she cried, "Mickey! They're gonna catch it!" He drew in a deep breath rolled his eyes at the child's ignorance,

"They're suppose' to, you daft girl, now back home," he snapped. Grace clenched her jaw and shoved Mickey as hard as she could, surprising him and nearly knocking him off over. She then turned and ran, sprinting as fast as she could after the dogs. Mickey looked to the others in horror and they looked to him, as if she was his responsibility. He muttered a string of curses under his breath and hitched up his pants as he shook his head and ran after her. He caught up to her quickly and ran in front of her, nearly sending her crashing into him.

Grace stopped herself just inches away from Mickey. "Get outta my way, Mickey!" She said sharply as she went to go around him. Mickey's arm caught her around the waste and pulled her back around towards him.

"Grace, I'm telling you. Go back home," Mickey said, holding her still in front of him with his hands gripping her by the shoulders now. Grace glared at him and shook her head, some of her hair falling from its loose ponytail. Mickey grabbed a hold of one of her hands and began to tug her along behind him. Grace squirmed and tried to get out of his grip as she tried to plant her feet firmly on the ground, but Mickey's hold was too tight, and he was far too much bigger than her. She managed to wrench her hand out of his and made another dash towards the dogs, letting out a sharp whistle causing one of the dogs to nearly trip over its four legs as it came to a halt and looked around dumbly.

"GRACE!" Mickey yelled, now losing his temper with the girl. He grabbed a hold of her arm and turned her around to face him. "I'm taking you an' leaving you to yer aunt m'self.." He shook his head and let out another string of curses as he turned to pull her behind him yet again, his grip like iron around her wrist.

Grace pursed her lips and kneed him in his groin.. Not enough to cause a great pain.. But painful nonetheless.. Mickey let go of her in shock and gasped. Grace bolted the other way away from him. Mickey growled and chased after her, not caring about being gentle this time, and taking her to the ground.

Across the ways, the boys laughed as Mickey stood up, him and Grace now covered in mud. He picked Grace up like a rag doll and tossed her over his shoulder, Grace went of course, kicking and screaming. She hit his back as hard as she could and screamed incoherently about animal and child abuse. Mickey ground his teeth and took deep breaths, as he reminded himself that she was only a child and didn't understand any of what was going on.

As he reached the camp grounds Mickey went to her aunt's trailer and swung the door open and went in, closing it quickly behind him - the door coming frighteningly close to whacking Grace in the head.

"Ms. LaCroix?" Mickey called as he dropped Grace on the couch and looked around. "Where's yer aunt?" He asked, looking to Grace. Grace glared and shrugged.

"She was still asleep when I left.. But that don't matter - you were letting those dogs hurt that poor rabbit, you great monster!" Mickey looked at her and rolled his eyes as he let out a frustrated sigh .

"It's not the first time, Grace - if you cared so much you would have noticed before," he told her. Grace narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

"It's the first time I've seen it, and you know it! It's not fair, Mickey!" She argued, but he cut her off before she could continue her argument.

"Nothin' in life is fair, Grace. God takin' yer mother wasn' fair.. You not havin' a father isn' fair.. But that's how it is, and you'd better learn it quick. This world hasn' been fair to you, and it won't be, ever. I'm sorry, but that's how it is." Grace got to her feet and watched him for a moment, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. Mickey's eyes softened and his lips parted. "Grace," he said softly. "Grace, don't cry, darlin'.." He stepped towards her and Grace shook her head as she pushed him away from her,

"No, Mickey! Leave me alone!" She yelled as she went to the back to find her aunt. Mickey watched for a moment and sighed, shaking his head in confusion. If there was one thing he would never understand, it was that girl. He turned to leave, but as he reached the door, he heard Grace let out a blood curdling scream. 


	3. Good Will Come of It

Mickey turned quickly and ran for the back of the trailer where Grace had just disappeared. He found her standing frozen in her aunt's doorway, her eyes fixed on the floor. Mickey followed her stare, he spotted her aunt's lifeless body lying on the floor - her eyes staring up at the ceiling and jaw sagging ..

"Joseph - Mary mother of God!" He said, taking Grace's hand quickly and pulling her from the trailer. He shouted for someone to go see to her aunt, and a few of the older men and women scurried into the trailer worriedly. Grace was struggling against Mickey to go back in after them, but he held her wrists tightly in his hands.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she shook her head and wept, her thin body shaking. "She can't be.. it isn't fair.." She kept saying under her breath as she fought against him. Mickey took a deep breath shook his head as he and tried to ease her emotions, as well as his. He felt immense sympathy for the poor girl who had already lost so much..

He pulled her into him and put his arms around her small frame, "Grace, quiet." Grace's hands pushed against his chest in a slight resistance, but she gave in and put her head against Mickey's chest as silent tears flooded down her flushed face.

Mickey pressed his lips together tautly as he wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her back with the other. He rested his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes as he worried for the child who'd just lost the last of her family..

"Ssh, it's gonna be alright.. Grace come with me.." He told her quietly, still holding the her against him but beginning to walk towards his mother's trailer. Mickey's mom stepped out of their trailer and looked towards Grace's curiously.

"Mickey, what's goin' on?" She asked.

Mickey shook his head and gave her a look. "Not now, ma," he said. "You see to it fer yerself.. I'm takin' her in.." And with that, he opened the door to the trailer and helped Grace inside.

When Mickey's mom returned to her trailer, she found Mickey sitting on the couch with Grace, who was curled up asleep under a blanket. Her head was resting on the pillow in Mickey's lap. Under the pillow, Mickey had applied an ice pack to here Grace had kneed him earlier..

Mickey ran a hand through her hair just as his mother used to do to him when he was younger.. He looked up to her and rose his eyebrows questioningly.. But he didn't have to ask.. He could tell by the way she was looking at Grace and from the redness in her eyes that her aunt had passed away.

He let out a long sigh and shook his head slowly.

"It ain't fair, ma," he said quietly as he shook his head, his words contradicting himself from earlier.. His mother nodded slowly and went to sit across from Mickey in her large rocking chair.

"I know, Mickey. But you know that isn' the way that life is. She'll find some good from it.." She watched the sleeping girl fondly before looking back up to Mickey with a smile. "I want her t' live wit us," she told him quietly. Mickey rose his eyebrows and looked to his mother surprised.

"What?" He whispered.

His mother frowned and told him sharply, "You heard me, boy! Where else does the child have t' go? You tell her when she wakes that I'll make up yer old bed for her." And with that, she got to her feet and crossed her arms as she awaited his response.

"I will, ma," he said. His mother nodded and went to the back to make up the bed. Mickey sighed and looked back down at Grace, his finger traced her brow gently as he watched her sleeping quietly.. at least she could find some peace in that.

When Grace woke up, Mickey too had fallen asleep. His arm was now wrapped around her, his head tilted back against the wall, and he was snoring quietly. Grace's eyes grew round as she looked up at for a moment as bit her lip lightly and she tried to sit up without waking him.

Mickey grunted and twitched slightly, his grip around her tightened.. Yet he still did not wake. Grace's eyes grew wider at this and she rose her eyebrows and leaned back against him, and his grip relaxed. She furrowed her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes slightly, but have a soft sigh and reluctantly closed her eyes, trying to fall back to sleep.

Moments later, Mickey opened his eyes and looked around. He glanced down at Grace and let out a soft sigh. His back arched slightly and he yawned and shook the sleep from his mind. He glanced at the clock on the wall and his eyes grew wide - he'd been asleep for nearly two hours.

He looked back at Grace, wondering if he should wake her and tell her about her aunt.. He winced and bit his lower lip lightly.. if she hadn't already put it together yet he certainly wouldn't wake her to give her the news.

Mickey sighed and put his legs out in front of him, one of them stinging slightly from being in the same position for too long. "Ah, bugger," he muttered as he shifted from beneath Grace's dead weight. He picked her up easily in his arms and walked her to the back room as best he could with his one leg still tinging. He shifted one of his arms out from under her to pull back the sheets quickly. He then laid her gently down upon the bed and pulled the covers up over her.

Grace stirred and gave a soft sigh as her eyes opened slightly and she looked around. She looked up and spotted Mickey standing above her. She began to sit up as she suddenly became aware that she was no longer on the couch.

"Me mam made me old bed for you," Mickey explained. "She wants you t' stay wit' us.."

Grace pressed her lips together, a part of her was still angry with Mickey. She wanted to argue with him and insist that she would be fine by herself.. But she knew very well that she wasn't.. so she nodded reluctantly.

"That's very kind of her.." Grace said softly.

"Get some sleep, Grace," Mickey told her quietly. Grace nodded, looking up at him sheepishly. This roused a smile from the gypsy, and he tousled her hair gently before shutting the door quietly behind him.

AN:  
Thank you so much for the lovely reviews, you guys! They made my day. 


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